The Search or The Girl, The Guards and the Magic Flower
by susan friedman
Summary: An alternate ending to Tangled. I wanted to write this for sometime but couldn't get the story straight in my head. What if Rider wasn't rescued by the Pub Thugs and he never made it the tower to save Rapunzel? This is my take. Hope you enjoy. A one shot. Complete in one chapter.


The Search or The Girl, The Guards and the Magic Flower

An Alternate Ending to Tangled

Gothel couldn't believe it. It was the last thing that she expected would ever happen.

Rapunzel's hair stopped growing and what's more so did the magic. She noticed the first brown patch a few days ago, but the hair still glowed. Not now, not since this morning.

Gothel thought at first, that it just might be the stress. It had been two weeks since the Lantern Festival. Not seeing Rider again, could have contributed, but Gothel had kept them apart for Rapunzel's own good. Gothel wanted to get her all to herself, no one else should have her, not even that no good wanted thief, Flynn Rider. What the heck was Rapunzel doing with him anyway? There was no permanency in that relationship? Was she serious?

Well, it didn't matter much anyway. Rider was dead and gone, hanged for his crimes. She really had expected him to escape and make his way back to the tower, but he never showed up. So naturally, she assumed he was dead.

Since Rapunzel realized that she was the Lost Princess, Gothel kept her bound and gagged in the small basement downstairs only using her for hair. When she wouldn't cooperate, Gothel started using spells on her to calm her down.

And they worked. They worked so well that Gothel released from her bonds, but Rapunzel would never again enjoy the convenience of Gothel's good nature.

Then the incantation stopped working. Gothel stopped the spells thinking that's what caused her hair to stop working; but that wasn't the case. Gothel started experiments with Rapunzel's tears, but that didn't help either. It seemed that Rapunzel had no magic left at all. Clearly, she had to do something or else she'd be gone herself. She didn't have much longer to go.

Then it hit her. Gothel overheard others speaking of another Magic Flower, one not that far from the Corona village. It would take 6 days on foot, maybe longer if the weather held. Gothel knew she was stretching it. Did she have the time? She had to try.

But what could she do with Rapunzel? She really wasn't needed any longer; her hair wasn't working at all. She had no magic left to speak of. She was yesterday's news, old and not worth reading about.

Gothel decided that she would take her as far as the Corona border; then abandon her in the woods there. No one would ever know the difference.

But she'd better start and soon. She had one grey streak in her hair, but it wouldn't be too long before it would turn white. Gothel didn't have much time left. She had to find that flower and soon. She was sure she knew the way, she usually did.

If it was the same flower, it has to be the same incantation. She was sure of it.

She set immediately to finding it. And it was going to be hers.

XXXXXX

Flynn Rider couldn't believe it, pardoned after all this time and by the King no less. And now, after being arrested two weeks ago and sentenced to be hanged, he was to be set free. But first, he was to have an audience with the King. He wanted to speak with him, something about finding his daughter and taking her to the Lantern Festival? They had been spotted in the Courtyard of the Sun by several people, but no one had spoken up, everyone had been afraid to.

And now someone had, he assumed. He really didn't know who would have. The Stabbington Brothers got him into this mess in the first place. What a fool he had been to respond to their call on the shoreline. He should have known better, but he just wanted to set the record straight. It wasn't Flynn Rider that fell in love with Rapunzel, but Eugene Fitzherbert. And he had vowed from the moment he took her hand in the boat that he was going to follow the straight and narrow path. He was going to make himself worthy to marry her, no matter what. He would find a way to get her out of Gothel's clutches, even if he had to cut off all that hair on her head.

But it was not to be. No one came for him, no one spoke up. He never got back to the tower to rescue his bride to be. He had almost forgot about her, resigned that he'd never see her again, until this.

So how would someone have found that he had discovered the Lost Princess; if indeed that's who she was? Rider was so sure, especially when he had spotted her mural in the Courtyard two weeks before.

"Rider?" he heard his name being called and suddenly two men were standing outside his cell door, one the Guard and the other the King. A key entered the cell's lock and opened wide. "Come on," the Guard yelled. "I don't have all day. Let's get this straightened out right now."

The King sized Rider up as soon as he was released. He smiled and nodded his head. "This will do, Guard. He will follow me. I need to have a talk with him."

The Guard bowed deeply, looked at Rider and walked away, a little smile on his face. Then he made a gesture for Flynn to follow him.

XXXXX

Rapunzel was leaning against the wall, trying to read her medical book, but she couldn't concentrate. It was two weeks to the day that she had gone with Eugene to the Lantern Festival. The last time she'd seen him was in an old skiff sailing back to the castle with the crown presumably to turn himself in. She couldn't believe that he'd actually done that and left her with those two thugs. Good thing that Mother had hit them over the head and rescued her.

She missed him, missed him terribly. She was hoping he'd come to her aid, especially after Mother had started to bind her arms and put that horrible gag in her mouth. She kept her that way for two weeks until her hair stopped glowing. Then Gothel had released her, but she made her stay in the basement only coming down to use her beloved hair. Mother had mentioned the brown patch, but the hair still glowed so she wasn't worried. It wasn't until this morning that she noticed the dead the sparrow on the floor of her basement. It must have gotten in somehow. She wrapped her hair around the poor little bird and sang the incantation, but her hair didn't glow.

She called up to Mother to please pass down the medical book. She had hoped that Gothel wouldn't ask why, but she had and Rapunzel had to explain. She hadn't heard anything at all after that and Mother had just delivered the book, no questions asked.

She doesn't need me anymore, that was her first thought. It was after she had promised to always be there for Mother. She would do whatever she wanted, as long as Gothel needed her. She knew now she was the Lost Princess and she was sure that other people knew it too. She hadn't had the chance to Eugene, but he'd seen the mural in the Courtyard of the Sun. She knew that he was smart enough to pick that up. The courtyard was crowded that day, after all it was Market Day. Who knew who else spotted the two of them?

Suddenly, she knew he wasn't dead. She knew that Eugene would be back for her and that she would get out of this somehow.

Suddenly the trap door opened up. She wanted the book back already? She wouldn't let Rapunzel keep it down there?

"Get your things together, Rapunzel, we're getting out of here now. We need to go on a journey and we've got to leave as soon as we can."

Rapunzel looked up. "Yes, Mother," was the only answer she could give at the moment.

XXXXXXX

The King stared at Rider. He was sitting opposite him, the King at his desk in his study,

"So you know where my daughter is, Rider?"

"You can call me Eugene, Your Majesty. My real name is Eugene Fitzherbert. And yes, she's in the old water tower deep in the woods. The old lady has her; at least that's what the Stabbington's told me. And I know for a fact that she's in trouble. "

The King nodded. "That would be Mother Gothel. She took her from us when she was just an infant." He still stared at him, but his glare had softened. He was looking at him with hope instead of hatred. "Can you lead us there, Fitzherbert?"

Eugene smiled at the use of his real name. "Yes I can, but I need to ask you if you meant what you said."

"About being pardoned? Yes, I have, Eugene. If you are right and we find my daughter than you will have everything you've ever wanted. We'll be deeply in your debt."

Eugene smiled. "I'll do it, Your Majesty. I just pray that she's alright."

The King smiled and they both stood to shake hands.

"By the way," Eugene asked. "Who told you that I found her?"

The King looked at him. "The Stabbington's did. The old witch made a deal with them, then clubbed them and had them arrested. They have no love for the old lady. They are coming with us. We need everyone we can get."

XXXXX

Gothel had to move quickly. She was sure that she hoof beats in the distance. She didn't know why, but she knew that they were headed her way. That would have left Rider alive to tell the King where his daughter was all this time.

"Come on, Rapunzel," she said, pulling her along in those chains. "We are going to have to stop for the night. It's getting to dark to continue."

She set a spell around the small camp that Gothel had set up so no one could find them. She had covered her tracks well by following the river instead of the open roads. The flower she was seeking was at the other side of the island, in a town appropriately named River's End.

After a small dinner of apples, cheese and hazelnut soup, Gothel set a spell to make Rapunzel sleep. Once she heard Rapunzel's light snoring, she pulled out the map to study where exactly they were. They had been on the road two days already with Rapunzel trudging along in chains behind her.

But she could still hear the horses behind her. Someone was following them, someone who knew that she had the Lost Princess. But she couldn't understand why and how they had picked her trail when she covered her tracks so well?

But she couldn't worry about that. Rapunzel was in chains, she couldn't be leaving a trail to follow, could she? Gothel shook off the thought as soon as it began. It was impossible. She cursed herself. Her original plans was to leave her at the Corona border. Why she held on longer was something she had no answer for. Was it love? Was it caring? Was it the attachment? Did she really love Rapunzel?

No, no, no, the voice in her head answered. It was none of those things. It was the hair she wanted and the hair was no longer an option. She would have to be abandoned and soon.

Gothel turned her attention to the map. She had to make sure they were traveling in the right direction. And she was. She was closer than she thought. Just another two days and she'd be there. It was her intention to have them find her, she hadn't decided yet if Rapunzel would be alive or dead. She'd have to make that decision soon. Either way, Gothel needed the flower to make her escape. She needed to move quicker than this.

Gothel smiled as she lay down to sleep. She was getting tired so quickly these days. She decided that she would get rid of Rapunzel sooner than later, she was too much of a burden to drag along. She'd be there soon and with any luck, she'd lose those horses behind her.

XXXXX

Rapunzel waited for Mother to fall asleep before she opened up her eyes. She couldn't make any moves while Gothel still had her in chains. She would feel the sudden movement and wake up to discover what she had been doing. She managed though to wiggle her right hand out of the cuffs and pulled a small rock she carried inside a dress pocket. She looked around, but saw no one. She reached over and marked the nearest tree, then replaced the rock inside her pocket. The hoof beats had stopped for the night as they had, but they weren't that far away.

Rapunzel couldn't even imagine why Mother was dragging her anyway. The reason to hold onto her didn't exist anymore.

Unless…unless she needed a diversion. Rapunzel didn't know where she was going or why she was going there. Must be something important, she realized.

She lay back down again and waited for sleep to take her. She'd deal with it when the time came.

XXXXX

Eugene was hoping against hope to find Rapunzel and find her alive. When they arrived at the tower, the two were gone and that frightened him. Now, on his sturdy horse Maximus, the King, Eugene and most of the Guard were following Gothel and Rapunzel. Someone, Eugene realized, had been marking the trail. They had to stay well behind the two of them so they wouldn't be seen. The bad news was that they could be heard.

And they were sure that Gothel could hear them.

They were also sure that they had passed the two of them because Gothel was a witch and could be using a spell to hide them.

Eugene didn't want any reward, just the pleasure of seeing Rapunzel again was enough for him. But the King never mentioned anything money at all. His Majesty was growing impatient since finding the tower empty. He would have to wait and see what would happen. He knew he loved her and he knew he needed to see her again and so did her parents.

Eugene watched the camp. There were two Guards, the King and Eugene against a witch and an 18 year old girl. How hard could that be?

He was getting very sleepy. He would not fail in this mission. But he didn't know how long it would take if Gothel put up barriers to throw them off. She would have to mess up and soon.

XXXXX

Three days later, Gothel located River's End. She couldn't believe that she was here. Now it was finding this freakin' flower, she had no idea where it existed or even if it really did. There were no signs or arrows pointing to the place saying "You are here." What happens if all this was going to be legend instead of the truth?

She left Rapunzel behind in the woods and under a spell to keep her hidden and quiet. She was still in chains and would be heard if she rattled them, but the spell would keep her asleep. By that time, Gothel would have gotten the flower and would be long gone leaving Rapunzel in the woods to fend for herself. Gothel was not intending to return, even though she told Rapunzel she would.

Gothel was getting more and more tired these days. She could hardly move sometimes. She knew that her hair was white, she could see it. She seemed to be forgetful lately. She couldn't remember some of the easier spells. It was really hard for her. She wasn't even sure if she had used the right one on Rapunzel. She wasn't worried about that now. All she thought about was that flower.

She discovered the cave quite by accident. The flower was supposed to be opposite the cave as was the one she found. She turned toward the direction and discovered the flower, which folded in on itself at night. To make it work, she needed the incantation.

"Flower, gleam and glow,

Let your power shine

Make the clock reverse,

Bring back what once was mine…"

She said it over and over again, but nothing happened. She wasn't turning any younger. She didn't feel any different and she could still see her white hair. Her voice was sounding stranger, older; not young anymore.

She tried again for the fourth time, but still nothing. How could this be? It was the same flower. Darn, she was running out of time, literally. She was over 400 years old. First Rapunzel and now this? She didn't even have her spell book with her. She wasn't young anymore. She couldn't possibly remember all these incantations.

Gothel was growing older by the minute now. The flower, the flower didn't work. How could that be? It was the same incantation for all of them, wasn't there? She was tired, very tired. She didn't have her spell book and she couldn't sit there for three days searching for the right spell. She didn't have that luxury.

She heard the hoof beats again, but this time she didn't move, couldn't move. A little nap would be fine, she thought as she lay down. They'd never find her in there. She'd lay there until the coast was clear, then she'd get up, find Rapunzel and….

XXXXX

Rapunzel watched as the Guards galloped past her. She had no idea how long she was there. She had wriggled her tiny hands and feet out of her chains and she was free to move, but there was no way to break free. Mother set another spell. No one heard her or saw her. Not anyone. The King came next and bringing up the rear was…Yes it was him. Her eyes went wide and she smiled.

"EUGENE," she called out. "EUGENE, YOU'RE ALIVE."

She forced herself to stand up and moved her arms back and forth to no avail. No one saw her, no one heard her, not even Eugene/Flynn.

She watched as they rode past her and sank back down.

"EUGENE," she called again, as loudly as she could. "EUGENE." And she began to cry.

XXXXXX

Eugene's thoughts were broken by a cry, a sob really. "Eugene, Eugene," it called over and over. "I'm here. Mother left me in the woods to die. My powers are gone, Eugene. Help me."

He stopped and so did the King.

"Did you hear something, Fitzherbert?"

"Back there, in the woods. She's there. I can hear her." Eugene smiled and looked up. "The spell wasn't meant for me. The old lady thinks I'm dead and gone. That's why I found that tower and no one else did. Come on, Majesty. We have found your daughter at last."

XXXXXX

And so you know the rest of the story. They found her in the woods alone and afraid, but not dead. No food, no water, she was barely alive. The only thing they found of Gothel was her cloak and the Magic Flower still intact.

But this wasn't for the King or Eugene to take, this flower, as the previous flower, was guarded by Fairy Folk and no one was to touch it, not even Gothel.

And they made sure of that.

At least, this time around, anyway.

XXXXXX

Rapunzel was brought back to the castle, but her long blond hair, now brown, had to be cut short, despite the fact that it would never grow again. When the Queen asked how her daughter had been found, Eugene and King would simply look at each other and laugh.

"We followed her hair," Eugene said. "She placed marks on the trees, but mainly we followed her long hair. Her hair dragged on the ground creating the perfect path for us to follow. Gothel seemed to forget that Rapunzel's hair was 70 feet long."

"But you heard her voice?" the Queen said, cocking her head to one side.

Eugene smiled. "Yes, but it was the hair that brought us to the exact spot. And we have Maximus to thank as well."

The Queen smiled. "While you were gone, we had some other visitors as well. A few others need to be pardoned for their part in finding the Princess, however small it was."

The King nodded. "At the party as soon as the Princess recovers. Everything will be revealed there." He clapped Eugene on the back and sent him to visit the Rapunzel.

And they all lived happily ever after.


End file.
